“Kyrel do you have any words of wisdom that will make your trip seem a bit less useless, like the Bobbsey Twins?” Aggie was growing tired of the runaround.
“I found a nice maiden who was very forthcoming. She spoke of hidden corridors and secret meetings with cloaked figures. Hushed voices carrying on an echo into mere murmurs.” His words were like a caress on her skin. His powers were overwhelming and it took all of Aggie’s focus and willpower to not give into it.
“Did you leave this girl in the same condition you found her?” Aggie wasn’t worried about the girl’s life but she needed to know he hadn’t harmed her with any of his wiles.
“Now what kind of demon doesn’t reciprocate when a female is so helpful? Of course, I relieved her of her tension. As you recall, I’m quite skilled in that department.” The timbre of his voice dropped an octave and he was speaking lower for her ears only. Unfortunately for Aggie, most of the men in the room had nearly superhuman hearing, among other special skills. While none voiced any concern or discomfort at the shift in conversation. She heard a few groans and shifting of feet. Aggie thought a few were sounds of desperation rather than that of displeasure.
“I’ll have Mathius recall the findings of our little escapade and then we can regroup with all that we know.” Aggie turned to have Mathius take over and she noticed his stance had drastically changed and she wondered if the shuffling of feet was the men adjusting their stances so they were more comfortable after Kyrel’s passing words.
It didn’t take but a moment for Mathius to take the proverbial torch and run with it. He quickly regaled the tale of their calls and the concerns about Yavari and her mystery caller. Quickly, the group pulled in tight to hear all the details. It was obvious that only one of their paths had resulted in juicy information and the men were acting as though they were getting some hot piece of gossip.
“I bet you guys are the biggest talkers in all of your realms. You probably sit around gabbing like a bunch of hens.” Aggie’s words were actually heard that time and Liel looked at her with his typical confused face.
“Chickens don’t talk in your world.” The way he said those words make Aggie wonder if they did elsewhere, but before she could clarify someone beat her to the punch.
“She means telling stories and spreading rumors.” To her surprise it was Mitchell who responded. Now Aggie wore a matching face to Liel.
“How did you know that?” Aggie’s eyes were as wide as saucers. She had spent most of her time, so it felt, explaining slang and human phrases to these men and Mitchell is, in some way, just playing stupid. This makes no sense to her at all.
“The shifters are required to spend five years of our early adult life on earth, before we can take our rightful place in the pack. It helps the animal in us tame a bit so they realize they have to share their time with our human selves. Since the children can’t go alone, we wait until they are the human adult age to take this journey. After that we can rejoin the pack or stay in the human realm if we so choose.” It was Mitchell’s mirror, Ren who responded and for once not in a joking way, for that Aggie was grateful.
“So, you two actually have experience with human terms and basic language outside of textbook communication. The ins and outs have been practiced and not just observed.” Aggie was overjoyed. That gave her help in explaining to the others as well as two fewer to teach.
“Of course, we do.” Mitchell’s lip curled at his snarl and he sounded offended. As though it was absurd for her to think otherwise.
“No offense, to any of you,” Aggie looked around the room at each guy, “but how was I supposed to know? It seems the rest of these guys were born in the dark ages with their concept of modern human language. I have been struggling from the very beginning.” The guys all shared a look and everyone, including Liel, started to laugh. The look of a smile on his face was the best thing she had ever seen. His face practically glowed and the tips of his ears turned slightly pink with the exertion of the emotion. “Did I miss the joke?” Aggie hesitated, but after a second realized what was happening. “Wait! Are you saying you were all playing me the entire time? Every time you questioned my words or choice of phrasing, you were just trying to see how long you could keep it up?” Aggie would be upset except it was rather perfect. Something she would have had fun doing herself if the situation had shown itself. Quickly, she joined them in the laugh and she was thankful that it meant they all had a terrific sense of humor.
Their amusement settled into a low murmur and the group grew quiet. “Now that we have that sorted, Eldon and I have a mission to prep for. Mathius have you sent word with the girl that was here before, Delia, wasn’t that her name?” Aggie scanned the room looking for Mathius. She found him leaning against the far wall looking more like a bad ass biker than anything else. If she had seen him on the street looking like this, she wouldn’t have had any doubt of what he was capable of, even if the demon bit would still be hard to swallow.
“Yes, Delia. I sent word to her when we arrived to eat. She will be here shortly to get an exact message. I didn’t want to risk anyone intercepting the message and throwing a kink in our plans before we get started.” Mathius’s use of a modern phrase, made Aggie smile. Allowing the extra reinforcement to sink into her brain and wash away any doubt that this might have been the actual joke. Knowing she could speak to them normally made this a little less stressful and a bit more exciting.
“Good plan, I’d hate for her to get into any trouble because of something we caused. Now for the plan, I don’t like the idea of baiting children but if we plan to protect any others from meeting the same fate, then I suppose we should know who we are protecting. Since I’m new here, who would like to or be best at doing this job? I’m still learning your strengths.” Aggie didn’t care that no one had formally put her in charge. It seemed that since they weren’t complete without her, then her role is likely to be the middle ground. If she can lead them and be the neutral party, then perhaps she would best serve her ultimate purpose. Not to mention, none of the guys were complaining at her choice to take command of the situation. Though she wouldn’t allow them to bench her through the process.
“That would be Liel and Mathius, in this situation. Mostly because Liel has an eye for detail and Mathius knows the community. He can get the records and help filter them best by age and skill level.” Eldon’s lyrical voice startled Aggie slightly as he came up silently behind her. Would she ever tire of hearing him speak?
Catching herself as she began to lean into the sound of Eldon’s words, “Mathius, then after you get word to Delia on what we need, can you and Liel get to work on that list for us?” She wasn’t one to dictate. So even as a self-imposed leader of this little misfit brigade, Aggie would be sure everyone was happy in their individual role before setting it in stone.
“I don’t like leaving you to your meeting alone without being available.” Mathius wasn’t going to let it go.
“We’ve discussed this. I don’t want you to get all bent out of shape. By your request, I’m taking Eldon with me and if anything goes awry, it’s not like there aren’t five other guys who could jump in to help. Isn’t there some kind of demonic or magical earpiece I could wear? Something that would allow us all to communicate or at least for someone or all of you to hear if something goes wrong. We have that technology in the human realm, surely you have something.” Aggie was grasping at straws but hoped she was on the right track.
Mathius looked confused, but just as Aggie had hoped, there was an alternative. “I believe I can put together something, but I’d have to spell us all and it wouldn’t last for a long time, but it should be long enough to get through the meeting.” Gryson was deep in thought with his thumb and forefinger caressing his chin and jaw. He wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular and went silent soon after, as he backed away from the group. Aggie assumed he was putting his plan together.
“As long as whatever it is will be undetectable to the demons.” Mathius was a
dding stipulations because he was still reluctant to give in easily.
“I can cast it on you last to see if you can detect it even knowing that we are using it.” Gryson didn’t sound as though he was happy with Mathius’s level of trust in his magical abilities.” Aggie could only picture these two talking about football plays or racing cars. She was slightly distracted with that visual and missed Mathius’s response. Ren’s quick movement caught her eye as he moved between Mathius and Gryson when they each took a fast step closer together.
“Now, now boys, I think we can be adults and trust that if someone says they can do something, then likely they will be able to safely pull it off. I would imagine that if Gryson wasn’t fully confident in his abilities, then he would speak up before we all put one hundred percent of our faith in him. I would expect that from any of you and not just because of this insane importance you have placed on my shoulders, but in order to protect each other as well. You have been a brotherhood longer than I’ve been in this picture. I expect you to continue to trust each other and not question that unless someone gives you cause.” Aggie wasn’t going to let them turn on each other. She couldn’t figure out how they possibly got along without her, before now.
Mathius and Gryson grunted their agreement, Aggie didn’t let it stop there. She moved and her line of vision met each of the men individually, even though that was extra difficult when she connected to Kyrel, “Do you have any way of toning that down, even just a little bit?”
Kyrel’s eyes lit up at her question, all the guys had nodded their acknowledgment to her request, but Kyrel still hadn’t. Now she had thrown him a bone and wondered if she was suffering from a lady boner due to the aftershocks from Kyrel’s powerful gaze. “That’s a loaded question. The best thing I can do is tell you that there are times of the month that I am more, shall we say, potent, than others. Also, my soul mate will be more affected by me than others but over time you will build up a level of immunity by exposure. Similar to a drug that isn’t as effective from prolonged use.”
Fighting an eyeroll, Aggie gritted her teeth and decided she didn’t care what anyone else thought or Kyrel’s feelings. “So, you are saying you have demon PMS? Not to mention, you are my personal drug of choice, if what you all have been telling me is true, that is. Is there a way to speed up the immunity effects?”
Kyrel’s face scrunched up at her description, but Eldon and Ren shared a laugh over the sentiment. She didn’t mean to be crass but there was no other way for her to explain it so precisely. Reality sucks but sometimes the truth just needed to be said regardless.
“I’m not sure that is how I would have phrased it, but I supposed you’re fairly accurate in your description. I’m not sure there is an accelerant outside of perhaps a bond-mate. Though it has been many years since one has perused that course of action, it could be the answer.” Kyrel’s eyes lit with hope at his own words. She didn’t know if he was hoping for her to agree or for that to be the solution to their seeming problem.
Aggie groaned at his timing and choice of words, “Here we go again. You guys are trying to force my hand. Slow down and let me make my choices as they come to be. I don’t want to make any decisions without having proper time to consider my options.” She wasn’t too upset but more put out that all of their conversations seemed to run full circle back to this point. “Now back on track, again. Eldon, you and I have to get ready for our little excursion this evening and Gryson you have a spell or whatever to prepare for as well.” She waved her hand around as though she were swishing a magic wand. She hadn’t seen him do so but given her limited knowledge of magic that was the best hand signal she could come up with on short notice. His potential offense was little to be concerned with at the moment.
A knock sounded on the door, Mathius was closest and greeted their guest. In walked Delia with a pleasant smile on her face. “I was told you needed to see me.”
“Yes, we were hoping you could tell us who Yavari’s handmaiden is if it isn’t too much trouble.” Mathius’s words were spoken roughly, but with a high level of respect. Aggie appreciated that he didn’t speak down to her even a little, given their difference in position levels.
“That is an easy question to answer, that would be me. I’ve only become useful in other things since my services aren’t as required for Yavari’s needs given she is so frequently away from the castle.” Delia spoke her words clearly, but Aggie noticed a hint of sadness in her tone. She wondered what could have caused that.
“We would love to speak to you at length about that but this isn’t the time nor the place.” Mathius stood with his arms crossed behind his back and Delia stayed right in front of him.
“I agree, how about this evening. I would say later after the servants have gone to bed. They tend to talk, you know and security traipsing the halls would lead to suspicion. I’m not sure what you wish to speak of but I’d rather do it in private. Also, could you not send everyone? That much traffic even after hours is due to cause alarm.” She was direct and to the point. Aggie appreciated that trait and knew they would get along great.
“Actually, we only planned to send two of our crew, Eldon and Aggie, our newest addition to the team.” A swell of pride filled Aggie’s heart at Mathius’s words. That was the first time she had been included outside of a meeting or two. This felt more of an official context. Nodding Delia turned and left, not needing to stay any longer to attract any unwanted attention.
After a quick bite to eat, they all made their way out of the dining room and on to their own individual tasks. Eldon trailed along with Aggie and they made their way back to the bedroom wing. Aggie stopped in front of her white door. White, the color of purity, and reminded her of a snowy day, not unlike the storm that had passed through this village. Washing away all the dirt and grime, or at least erasing it from view. Was this color symbolic to her role and what she would embark on as the final link of the Brotherhood of Guardians? Would she be washing clean her life before and starting new and fresh like the pure white door in front of her?
The clearing of a throat broke her from her wandering thoughts. Eldon stood with his hands behind his back waiting patiently for her to open the door. “Oh, I’m sorry I was lost there for a moment. So much has happened since my Gran’s passing I’m not sure how to sort it all out in my head. If I stay silent too long and allow my mind to wander, it all comes to a head in an attempt to find a proper place to file itself away. Unfortunately, there are no categories that fit any of this outside of fiction.” Reaching for her handle without pause, she didn’t wait for Eldon to respond. As though it wasn’t locked, the door clicked open and allowed them entry.
“Wait,” Eldon’s word gave her pause and she turned to face him not sparing her room a second glance. Without another word, his liquid blue eyes began to change. They were almost without color forcing Aggie to look closer to see that they were actually iridescent like the imaginary wings of a fairy. They shimmered and almost looked as though the color actually moved. Just as she began to speak to convey their beauty, his hands which were folded began to glow. Her attention was now captivated by this new image before her. As he separated his hands ever so slowly, Aggie could see lush green like the leaves of a plant. The glowing subsided and he lowered the hand, that kept this green item covered, to reveal three red roses. Glancing quickly back at his eyes, Eldon’s blue had returned as though it had never actually left. That gave Aggie pause, she glanced around the hallway and without much effort they landed on Eldon’s chamber door. A perfect match to his eye color, Eldon’s door stood closed and Aggie had a new appreciation for what she was seeing. The magic that displayed itself so clearly in each of their eyes, while she hadn’t seen them all perform their own skills, she guessed each would match the color that was imbued on their bedrooms.
“These are beautiful, but why are you giving me flowers?” Aggie had hoped it didn’t mean he was apologizing for something he’d done or in advance of something he was about to do.
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“I wanted to cheer you up. While I’m not sure what it would be like to be in your shoes and so unaware of the many worlds that have surrounded you your entire life, I want you to know I’m willing to try and understand.” Aggie wasn’t sure but that might have been the kindest thing any of the guys had said to her yet. Eldon was quickly becoming a fan favorite in her eyes. He seemed quiet at first and she couldn’t get a read on him, but now things were changing and while she didn’t know when or why, it was for the better.
“Thank you, that was a wonderful idea. Let me get these inside and in water. Then I will need to find a spot for them where I can see them almost anywhere in the room.” With a smile of pure happiness Aggie turned and pushed the door open wider so they could both enter and quickly gasped dropping the flowers where she stood. Instead of the exceptional space that had been here when she left that morning, Aggie now stood facing a disaster beyond compare. The room was more than trashed, it was destroyed. The curtains were ripped from the windows and the rods were snapped in two. The table that held her snack and tea when she first arrived was scorched and still smoldering, the heat radiating from the smoke as though this was all still quite fresh. Her bed was snapped in two and the covers were torn and sat beside the burning table, or that is what Aggie assumed they were as they were nearly unrecognizable. This was horrific but when Aggie reached the far side of the room she screamed as she saw the words INTRUDER were burned into the wood of the wall panel above the closet and her clothes were still on fire. “How did this happen and how did we not smell the smoke outside? We could have prevented this or slowed the progression if someone had smelled the fire.” Aggie touched her face and her fingers came back wet. The trials of the past few days were catching up with her. Not only had she lost her Gran but now a space that was once her own, even if only for a short time, it was devastating.
The Final Link_The Gateway Saga Page 10
